Anser canagicus

Order

Family

Code 4

Code 6

ITIS

ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOS

CONSERVATION STATUS

The Emperor Goose has a current classification rating of Near Threatened. While the population of the Emperor Goose has witnessed some increase in the last few years, historically there have been significant decreases, particularly during the mid-20th century. The breeding range of this bird is restricted and the Emperor Goose can only be found in the Bering Sea. The primary threats to this bird are believed to be coastal oil pollution and climate change in its range. This bird is native to the United States and Russia. It has been occasionally seen in Japan and Canada.

SUMMARY

Overview

Emperor Goose: This small goose has slate-gray plumage that is subtly barred in white and black. It has a white head and hindneck, a dark foreneck, a short pink bill, and a white tail with black under tail coverts. The legs are bright yellow-orange. It feeds on plants, crustaceans and mollusks. It has a direct flight with rapid wing beats. The sexes are similar, with the female slightly smaller.

Range and Habitat

Emperor Goose: This species breeds on islands in the Bering Sea and marshy coasts of western Alaska and winters mainly in the Aleutian Islands east to Kodiak Island. Also breeds in Kamchatka, Russia. In winter, this bird may wander as far south as Oregon. Preferred habitats include coasts, mudflats, and coastal tundra.

Emperor Goose SONGS AND CALLS

Emperor Goose A1

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Calls from a pair.

Emperor Goose A2

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Wing noise and "kla-ha" calls from a pair.

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"Kla-ga-kla-ga-kla-ga", "u-lugh-u-lugh"

INTERESTING FACTS

The Emperor Goose population declined from an estimated 139,000 in 1964 to 42,000 in 1986. The causes of this decline are not well understood. Currently, the population seems to be on the rise in Alaska.

The 2000 population survey was 62,600 geese, which was 38% higher than the previous year's estimate.

A group of geese has many collective nouns, including a "blizzard", "chevron", "knot", "plump", and "string" of geese.

RANGE MAP NORTH AMERICA

About this North America Map

RANGE MAP HAWAII

About this Hawaii Map

This map shows how this species is distributed across the Hawaiian island.

FAMILY DESCRIPTION

Ducks, Geese and Swans (Anatidae)

ORDER

The ANSERIFORMES (pronounced an-ser-ih-FOR-meez), one of the oldest avian orders, is composed of three families and includes the bizarre and noisy screamers of South America, the odd Magpie Goose of Australia, and the globally distributed swans, geese and ducks.

FAMILY TAXONOMY

The swans, geese and ducks are grouped in the Anatidae (pronounced ah-NAH-tih-dee); a bird family with one hundred sixty-four species in forty-eight genera, various members of which can be found on all continents.

NORTH AMERICA

The Anatidae are represented in North America by sixty-nine species in twenty-three genera (including the extinct Labrador Duck). Members of this well known bird family include the graceful, long-necked swans, familiar geese of farm fields and golf courses, and the many species of ducks.

KNOWN FOR

While all species are known for their association with aquatic habitats, Canada Geese are also known for their aggressive behavior when guarding their nests and young. After the breeding season, Canada Geese become better known for the "V" shaped flocks they form during migration.

PHYSICAL

Swans, geese, and ducks are large birds with long necks (longest in swans, shortest in ducks) and short tails. All species have webbed feet suited to their aquatic environments and distinctive flat bills - except for the mergansers with their thin, serrated bills ideally suited for catching fish.

COLORATION

Although swans and geese are mostly white, brown, and black, many ducks showcase several shades of grays, browns, and blacks combined with fine barring and streaking to result in a variety of beautifully patterned plumages for which females of the species are well known. Males in breeding plumage are more boldly patterned and often have iridescent blue or green on the head. Both sexes usually show a spot of color in the wing known as a "speculum".

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

Swans, geese, and ducks occur throughout North America wherever aquatic habitats are found. While geese and some ducks are often found along the shoreline, species that feed on underwater vegetation such as swans and dabbling ducks prefer calm water with depths suited to the length of their necks. In deeper waters, the mergansers, scoters, and diving ducks occur. Boldly-patterned Harlequin Ducks swim in the swift rivers and turbulent seashores of the Pacific Northwest and some areas of the northeastern U.S. and Canada.

MIGRATION

A highly migratory family, most species migrate to open, ice-free water in sheltered bays and marshes of the southern United States with some reaching Mexico and Central America.

HABITS

Members of the Anatidae flock together after breeding in large, multi-species groups at sites with good, safe foraging. At such sites, scoters, Canvasbacks, and other diving ducks dive for mussels in the deep sections while dabblers such as Gadwall and Northern Shovelers forage on the surface and in the shallows. On the shore, grazers such as geese and the American Widgeon forage on grass.

CONSERVATION

Populations of two Alaskan diving ducks, the Steller's and Spectacled Eiders, are threatened for reasons unknown; possible causes include changes in their habitats, nest predation by ravens and gulls, hunting, and the on-going effects of lead poisoning. The reasons why the Hawaiian Goose, and the Laysan and Hawaiian Ducks are endangered are much better understood; however after nearly going extinct, populations have stabilized but unfortunately don't have much room for growth in the limited amount of available habitat.

INTERESTING FACTS

The white plumage of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans sometimes takes on a dirty, rusty-brown appearance. The birds aren't actually dirty but do show rust-colored highlights from foraging in the iron rich environments of the far north. Regarding the well-known description of the sound made by a duck as a "quack," duck species in North America also variously whistle, squeak, click, and grunt.